Heartbreak In Nottingham As Lara Stops Wood
It was heartbreak for Leigh Wood as Mauricio Lara displayed another sensational show of power on away territory to stake his claim as the featherweight division’s principal.
It was a fight that boxing had pinned hope on to be one of the best of the year. The bumping of heads of two gunslingers, each with power in the punch… and it turned out to be that devilish power that swung the pendulum on a pulsating night.
Round one was welcomed by a chorus of cheers, and it was Wood who set the tone. A left to the body and a peach of a right uppercut signalling an ideal start.
However, in what seems to read as rule one of the featherweight playbook, there was an accidental coming together of heads. It tainted Wood’s early success and the frantic corner work gestured as such.
It didn’t deter Wood, who saw in round two by driving back Lara and continuing his assault to the body. The response, however, was ferocious and made Wood’s legs buckle as Lara delivered a right hand of his own.
It was a herculean attack, and it opened up the cut that sat on the side of Wood’s face.
But once again he was led to attack. In round three he landed a well-timed right hand which was undeniably felt by Lara. This was a fight delivering on expectation.
It had a lot more substance than just a firefight too. Wood was using his feet exceptionally to evade Lara’s work. Lara is a complex fighter, whose unorthodox style asks questions which he follows with stiff straight punches.
It is a problem that Wood was navigating but not without some suffering. The fourth round was opened with a ferocious right-left combination from Lara. This was another fight involving Wood that had formed into an absolute humdinger.
Round five and Wood utilised the body again. A crunching left into the ribcage brought a reaction from Lara and the follow-up punches showed the first real glimpse of a man who was feeling the force.
A swing and a miss had the smell of desperation and Lara looked out of ideas. The round six bell bought to close a period of domination for Wood.
But as we know with Lara, he will happily reimburse with his unrelenting power. In round seven we saw it. A short left hook took Wood off his feet and in came the towel.
A stunning punch.
And a stunning show of compassion under pressure from Ben Davison who may just have saved his man from something unpleasant. A sour ending, but one conducted correctly.
Leigh Wood and his team can hold their heads high.
It really was a night deserving of the atmosphere it got - right from Lara’s ring-arrival, until his presentation as champion, and for every violent round in between - Nottingham gave it everything.
But this was Mexico’s night.
And in Mauricio Lara, Mexico could well have a much-needed torchbearer. Of course, Canelo Alvarez is the pacesetter, and will for now wear the crown of a country whose boxing history is as rich as it is brutal.
It is perhaps due to the phenomenon of Saul that the hunt for the country’s next superstar has been neglected. But Lara is everything Mexican boxing encapsulates - he fights by the motto of death-or-glory.
His utter disregard of fear makes him a nightmare proposition. At just 24, he has stormed British shores twice to deliver his dynamite message. This time it was for world title glory, and you’d be naïve to think it stops there.
Featherweights be careful, there's a bronco on the lose.
Oscar Bevis
Official reporter for iFL TV
